BUILDING CODES
& ENERGY EFFICIENCY:
WASHINGTON
B
uildings account for roughly 40 percent of the
total energy use in the United States and 70
percent of our electricity use, representing a
significant opportunity for energy savings. Energy effi-
ciency—through the adoption and enforcement of
strong building energy codes – is the quickest, cheap-
est, and cleanest way to reduce energy consumption
and achieve a sustainable and prosperous future. For
most states, the first step has been to adopt the U.S.
model energy codes – the 2009 International Energy
Conservation Code (2009 IECC) and ASHRAE
Standard 90.1-2007.
In February 2009, the American Recovery and Rein-
vestment Act (Recovery Act) – the federal stimulus
legislation appropriating funds for a variety of state
initiatives – allocated $3.1 billion for the U.S. Depart-
ment of Energy’s State Energy Program (SEP) to assist
states with building energy efficiency projects. As one
of the requirements to receive this funding, Gov. Chris-
tine Gregoire certified to DOE1 that Washington would
implement energy standards of equal or greater strin-
gency than the latest national model codes – the 2009
edition of the IECC and Standard 90.1-2007. Having
already received $30.5 million2 out of a total $60.9 mil-
lion in SEP funds, Washington has highlighted the
state’s best economic interest by adopting energy
standards at least equivalent to the national model
codes.
THE NEED FOR GREATER ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Washington has few fossil fuel resources but has tre-
mendous renewable power potential from its immense
Updated February 23, 2010
hydroelectric resources, which account for over 70
percent of the state’s electricity generation. 3 Combin-
ing clean energy with the state’s effective energy
efficiency programs (including one of the nation’s
first mandatory energy codes), Washington has a low
per capita energy consumption rate (ranked 31st in
2007) despite its large population (ranked 13th) and
expansive terrain.4
The continued improvement of building energy codes
should remain a cornerstone of statewide energy pol-
icy. As major net exporter of electricity, Washington
stands to gain from further advances in energy effi-
ciency. Reducing local electricity and natural gas de-
mand would free up more of the state’s energy re-
sources for export to other states, decreasing costs for
state consumers and increasing profits for busi-
nesses.
OTHER BENEFITS OF BUILDING ENERGY CODES
Washington’s prospective 2009 code update would
makes its residential and commercial energy standards
at least equivalent to – and likely more stringent than –
the 2009 IECC5 and Standard 90.1-2007, substantially
improving upon the state’s previous residential and
commercial codes.
The successful implementation of – and compliance
with – energy efficiency standards like Washington’s
also produces multiple economic and environmental
benefits for the building and utility industries:
New and renovated construction boasting energy
efficiency levels of 30 percent or more over typical
buildings not constructed to meet national model
energy standards
Expansion of the state economy by keeping local
dollars in Washington
Simplified guidelines for builders and designers,
cost-effectiveness optimization, and uniformity
throughout the state
Improved indoor/outdoor air quality and reduced
greenhouse gas emissions from lower demand for
electricity, natural gas, and heating oil
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Washington, DC 20036
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 WASHINGTON: BEYOND THE MODEL ENERGY CODE
T
he Evergreen State’s minimum mandatory energy
standards are codified in the Washington State
Energy Code (WSEC). While the WSEC is not
based on the IECC, the current version of this code
(effective since July 2007) is estimated to exceed the
stringency of the 2006 IECC for most homes and roughly
equal Standard 90.1-2004 for most commercial build-
ings.6
In November 2009, the Washington State Building Code
Council (SBCC) adopted changes that will make the
2009 WSEC at least equivalent to the 2009 IECC and
Standard 90.1-2007, with an effective date of July 1,
2010. In January, however, a bill (HB 2927) was intro-
duced in the Washington State Legislature that would
delay the new code’s implementation until the SBCC
provides an economic impact statement deemed accept-
able by the Legislature’s Joint Administrative Rules Re-
view Committee (JARRC).7 As of February 2010, imple-
mentation remains on schedule.
Adoption, however, is only the first step. The state
must now implement its new code. As another condition
of accepting the Recovery Act SEP funds, states must
achieve compliance with these new standards in 90 per-
cent of new and renovated residential and commercial
building space by 2017.8
Additionally, Washington should consider following the
example of other states that are proven leaders in energy
efficiency by continuing to develop and adopt innovative
policies that go beyond the national model codes.
AUTOMATIC ENERGY CODE STATUTE UPDATES
When states regularly update and enforce their energy
codes (as Washington has by tradition in recent years),
they ensure the consistency and continued enhancement
of the benefits of model building practice. Exemplary
statutes include the Massachusetts Green Communities
Act of 20089 and the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction
Code of 1999.10
REMOVE CONTRADICTORY COMPLIANCE OPTIONS
Many states have adopted the 2009 International Resi-
dential Code (2009 IRC) along with the IECC. For vari-
ous reasons, however, many builders use the energy effi-
** NOTES **
1 8
US DOE (http://www.energy.gov/media/Gregoire_Washington.pdf)
2 9
US DOE (http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=190)
3 10
US EIA (http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=WA)
4 11
US EIA (http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/states/sep_sum/html/pdf/
12
rank_use_per_cap.pdf)
5 13
BCAP (http://bcap-energy.org/node/330)
6 14
BCAP (http://bcap-ocean.org/state-country/washington)
7
JAARC (http://www.leg.wa.gov/JointCommittees/JARRC/Pages/Meetings.aspx)
Mt. Rainer in Pierce County, Wash. (Credit—Kelvin Kay)
ciency standards (Chapter 11) of the IRC, which DOE
has stated is not equivalent to the IECC and does not
comply with Recovery Act requirements.11 States can
avoid contradictory compliance options by deleting
Chapter 11 of the IRC and replacing it with a refer-
ence to the state’s energy code, as the 2010 Maryland
Building Performance Standards (MBPS) have done.12
UNIFORM VOLUNTARY “STRETCH CODE”
In 2009, Massachusetts approved Appendix 120AA as an
optional amendment to its mandatory statewide building
energy code.13 The appendix, which includes both resi-
dential and commercial code language, is designed to be
about 30 percent more stringent than the 2006 IECC and
ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004. This optional "stretch
code" was developed in response to the call for improved
local building energy efficiency. Towns and cities may
adopt the appendix as a uniform alternative to the base
energy efficiency requirements of the state code, easing
future transitions to strengthen the mandatory code.
MANDATORY GREEN BUILDING CODE
In January 2010, California adopted the nation’s first
mandatory green building standards, known as CAL-
Green.14 Effective in 2011, the new code will require all
new buildings to reduce indoor water use by 20 percent
and divert 50 percent of construction waste from land-
fills. CALGreen also mandates inspections of energy
systems for large nonresidential buildings and the use of
low-pollutant emitting interior finish materials such as
paints, carpet, vinyl flooring, and particle board.
For more information, please visit www.bcap-ocean.org
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Sec. 410 (2) (c)
BBRS (http://bcap-energy.org/files/MASS_GreenCommunitiesAct_S2768_0.pdf)
PA DLI (http://bcap-energy.org/files/PA_UCC_Act_1999.pdf)
US DOE (http://www.energycodes.gov/news/irc_iecc_arra.stm)
MD Codes Admin. (http://mdcodes.umbc.edu/dhcd2/mbps.html)
MA BBRS (http://bcap-energy.org/node/418)
CA BSC (http://bcap-ocean.org/news/2010/january/21/california-adopts-nations-first
-mandatory-green-building-standards)
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